Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1887-04-04
9Jlunth's Column
The Two Giants.

Bows, let me tell You, who are fond
of reading about fairies and giants,
and there are two giants
But, there, The idea of calling
unconquered faults by the name of
giants is such an old one that j
don't believe I'll finish this in the
wav which have begun it. | think
l will just say out, in the plainest
and most unvarnished manner, that
there are two fault that cause more
trouble. l do believe, than most any
other faults in the world. Remember,
when l say faults l don't mean
vices such as drinking, sweari g,
living, &C., though these two faults OF
which am going TO speak will turn
into vices if not corrected in early
youth.
They are so much alike that. if l
hadn't adopted the ''giant" plan, l
should call them twins anyway
twin faults. When l tell you their
names YOU will see how much they
resemble each other, while they are
really different. The first one is, then,
'sJust this once" and the second one
is After while"
The first one arises from an eager
second one from-well, from lazlness.
.'Just this once causes, l think,
perhaps a little more unhappiness
than LATTER while" simply be-
cause when we feel the necessity OF
using this phrase. it is always in ref
erence to something that we know we
should not do, either because we
have been told not to, or because our
own sense of right warns us that we
are doing wrong. And, boys, if You
have been told to stop doing some
particular thing, and try TO ease your
conscience with the promise to your
self that it shall be ''just this once
and never again. let me tell YOU that
the next time temptation assails you,
YOU will again say lust this once
(which will make twice. and this time
you will not be obliged to talk to
your conscience to prove that there
is no harm in ''just this once
BOYS. don't smoke ''just this once
because YOU are afraid Ito look
queer" on some particular occasion
"When all the rest of the fellows
smoke. Don't think that ''just this
once won't matter if father or moth
er have asked you not to do it.
Every time counts, and mother and
father cannot have the same conf
dence in a boy who allows himself to
be pursuaded Tor pursuades himself)
10 do some even ''once, if he knows
they would disapprove. They love
him just the same, but they cannot
depend on him. And, boys, did you
ever think what a dreadful thing it Is
to be a boy that is not to be depend
ed on? Do you know it is the 'just
this once" that has put many man
and boy in Jail? a mans accounts are
for some unacountable reason a lit
tie short temptation assails him and
''just for once till he can right him
self (as he tells himself) he makes a
false entry The minute he has
yielded to that temptation he is lost.
Because he is either discovered and
punished at once or he isn't discover
ed. Il, q the ease with which he ac-
cOmplished his first fraud gives him
courage 10 commit a second, to cover
up the first. Happy is the man who
Is discovered the first time and thus
saved a long line of crimes and de-
ceit. BOYS, don't smoke. don chew,
don't drink, don't cheat, lie or steal
don't do anything ''just once"
that YOU would not be willing TO
have everybody know.
Now. then, LATTER a while"-well
latter a while is another salve
for a troubled conscience, or perhaps
l would say a troubling conscience.
When conscience tells you of some
thing you have not done (''after
while refers To the thing you have
not done, while ''just once" refers to
the thing yOu have not done you ease
your conscience with the reflection
that YOU will attend TO it ''after
awhile
I'm not going to say very much
about "after a while, because what
i have already said about ''just once
has a good deal of bearing upon it,
and any boy who does not think will
not read this anyway.
But the remedy for both these evils
is .'now." If you are doing any
thing you should not, do not wish for
one mole indulgence, stop it "now''
If there something You should do, do
it ''now" for the task will be ten
times as disagreeable '.after while.
True Politeness.